“It’s shocking that RCT Council have been giving themselves 25p per mile extra on top of the standard 40p rate. They aren’t putting residents first and should be prioritising core services over perks.

“Of course staff using a car for work purposes should be paid back but RCT council is giving out more than anywhere else in Wales, at a time when they must avoid wasting money.”

In the 2009/10 tax year, RCT council paid out £3,678,567.20 in travel expenses, then £3,624,631.32 in 2010/11.

Within the authority’s community and children sector, more than £4m was paid out in mileage claims since April 2009.

Almost £2m was paid across both the council’s education and environmental sectors.

More than half a million was paid to corporate services staff.

And workers in the chief executive’s department were reimbursed by more than £313,000.

A council spokeswoman said: “Rhondda Cynon Taf stretches from the Brecon Beacons National Park in the north to the M4 corridor to the south.

“It is wholly right and proper that its employees travel around the county borough, supporting and caring for the vulnerable and inspecting the highways network, to name a few examples. Importantly, staff are travelling to ensure the delivery of essential frontline services.

“The council has already taken steps to reduce the rate paid to staff from 60p to 45p, inline with the HMRC-recommended rate.”

Cwmdare resident Norman Blacker who is a volunteer driver for Rowan Tree Cancer Care, said: ”It’s difficult to judge because we don’t know how many people in total have made claims but it does seem a huge amount.

“Was all this travel justified at a time when people are suffering from financial cutbacks.

“I take people to hospitals for vital appointments and our mileage allowance is lower than RCT’s.”

Lynn Wilkerson of Aberdare said: ”That’s an awful lot of money that could be better spent on ensuring vital services for the elderly and vulnerable don’t fall short in any way.”